I think the colours are so yummy and bright. The stamps I used are 'Bright Days' by Avery Elle and the inks are Cherry, Fizz - Avery Elle; Fresh Green, Cyan, Boysenberry - VersaColor.The creator of the winning card will receive some craft goodies and also a code to display the Challenge Winner badge on their blog.

Three runner up cards will be chosen and they will get a code to display the Challenge Top 3! badge on their blog.There is also a 'play along' badge that you can display on your blog. The code is in the sidebar.This challenge will run until 31st July 2014 23:55 (GMT+1).

Sunday, 29 June 2014

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend! We're off out with some friends tonight to go and see Mrs Brown's boys D'Movie and then go on for something to eat. I know Mrs Brown's boys isn't to everyone's tastes, but we love it...can't wait :oD

Here is a little card I did for the 'Stamping with Style' Masterclass for the April 2014 issue of Crafts Beautiful.

What you need...

Stamps: Breakfast Club - The Alley Way Stamps

Patterned papers: Color Crush 6x6 Pad - KI Memories

Card stock: white

Promarkers: Cool Aqua, Magenta, Pear Green, Turquoise

Ink pads: Onyx Black, Vintage Sepia, Smokey Gray - Versafine

Embossing powder: Detail Clear - Stampendous

Ribbon: turquoise velvet

Adhesives

Heat gun

What you do...

Stamp three mugs and steam in Onyx Black ink, apply embossing powder and heat. Colour in the images and cut out.

Stamp three shadows in Smokey Gray ink along a piece of white card 7cm x 15cm. mount the mugs onto the shadows using foam pads.

Stamp the 'What's perking?' phrase with Onyx Black and heat emboss. Over stamp the coffee stain with Vintage Sepia. Punch or die cut into a circle and mat onto a larger circle of aqua paper.

Friday, 27 June 2014

This is just gentle reminder that you have until 11:55pm (GMT+1) 30th June to get your entries in for challenge #2. Click here to take you to the challenge and rules.

To make it fair for everyone, it's important to follow all the rules of the challenge :o)

The lucky winner will get some yummy craft goodies....yippee!!!

Thank you to those who have entered so far, I know things are a bit slow at the moment and there aren't too many entries, but hopefully this will pick up as the challenges continue. Don't forget to tell your crafty friends!

Wednesday, 18 June 2014

Hope you are all having a good week. I'm just having a break from commissions for a few minutes so I thought I'd show you the iris folding card I did for the current issue of Crafts Beautiful.

As with tea bag folding, iris folding was something that really never interested me at all. When asked by Sarah (CB Editor) to do a master class on the technique, I knew I had to bite the bullet and have a go, but with a more modern twist on it.

I designed a simple flower and leaves pattern that would be perfect for beginners, but still enjoyable for the more experienced crafter.

Here it is....

I had some lovely, bright papers (more like a thin card stock) in my stash that I have had for years and thought they would be perfect for a simple. yet eye-catching effect. Gingham and spotty patterns can be found in most craft shops, just team them up with co-ordinating solid colour papers and away you go! Of course, you don't have to follow the colour scheme I've done.

The complete project with six stage instructions can be found in the current July Issue, there is a template at the back of the magazine for you to copy and re-size. The magazine is now also available as an app.

Alternatively, you can go to the Crafts Beautiful website to download the template, along with other project templates from this issue. Past templates can also be downloaded, plus there are lots of free papers too. You just need to register to do this, which again is free to do. There are lots of other great projects, ideas and inspiration to be found as well!

So what are you waiting for? Get those paper strips cut and fold away!!

Friday, 13 June 2014

I spent yesterday having a fun fiddle and play with the Cricut® Explore.

When I went to London for the launch, we were able to have a play with the Explore and make some items to take home. I chose a simple cotton bag and decided to decorate it well....with...a glittery black skull and crossbones sporting a pink moustache!

Ooh, I say!

Here is a photo of said bag...

Very effective don't you think? I used Cricut® Iron-on Glitter, black and Cricut® Iron-on Lite, Pink.

Yesterday I decide to make a card version. This is what I came up with...

As I wanted to give him a glittery moustache I thought why not use iron-on but don't iron it on?

I applied adhesive to the back of the moustache and lettering by running them through my Xyron and then used the left over piece of glitter as a template to line up the letters (yes, the spacing on 'Matey' is right). That's what crafting is about isn't it? Being inventive with your materials :o)

Top tip: When doing searches for images/words, remember to use American spellings (e.g. mustache)

Xyron 150 Create-a-Sticker What you do...Open a new canvas and insert the skull image and the moustache image. Upload the font to your computer (any fonts saved to your computer will automatically be in the font section of the Design Space). Type out 'Arrr Matey' and re-size all layers as desired.

Cut the skull in black vinyl and the lettering and moustache in glitter pink iron-on. Carefully remove from the backing sheet and apply the skull to the blank.

Peel the excess glitter iron-on from around the moustache and lettering. Run the moustache and letters through the Xyron. Adhere the moustache to the skull and the lettering underneath.

Round off the four corners to finish.Here is a list of prices* for the images etc. Skull - £0.79 (Word Builders 3® An Ocean of Words image set - £11.49)Mustache - £0.79 (Billionaire image set - £22.49)Iron-on Glitter - £13.99Vinyl - £5.79

Don't forget, you don't have to buy a whole image set unless you know you will get good use out of them all, you can buy images individually.

The image sets and individual images are available through the Design Space and the vinyl and iron-on are available from http://www.uk.cricut.com.

So there we have it. A rather camp skull and crossbones, maybe I should have put 'Well hello sailor!' instead of 'Arrr Matey'.

I don't know who will be the lucky recipient of this fine skull and crossbones, but I'm sure they'll love him. I'm keeping the bag though.....

Just before I go I will leave you with a photo of the girls I took this morning. I had a job to get them all in the one shot as they kept sticking their beaks in the camera or they moved and I just got fluffy bums.

They are all lovely, funny and vandals. Bren particularly likes sitting on my back, she jumps up, cleans her beak, then her feet and then has a peck at my piercings. Charming! Okay, that me for now. Take care and enjoy the rest of your day. xx*Prices correct as at 13/06/14.

Wednesday, 11 June 2014

How are you all today? I hope you are enjoying some lovely weather where ever you may be...

I'd like to give you a peek at another card I did for the current issue of Crafts Beautiful. It's part of the two card set I did for the Anniversary Cards feature.

Both the cards in this feature are made from basic shapes cut out, layered and assembled. They are a good way to use up those hundreds of googly eyes we seem to have stashed away.

I even stuck two on a funny shaped tomato a couple of years back. Do you remember Herb?

Herb was a cute, funny shaped tomato I grew in the greenhouse. We couldn't bring ourselves to eat him, so after a few days he looked like he'd been punched in the face and his teeth had been knocked out.

All the templates for the cards can either be found at the back of the magazine or are available to download free from www.craftsbeautiful.com.

Why not pop on over and have a look? There are lots of projects, ideas and inspiration to be found. You can also download and print some beautiful patterned papers.

That's me done for now. Thanks for popping by and don't forget to enter your lovely creations in my Cosmic Colours Challenge! Click here to take you to the challenge post. xx

Thursday, 5 June 2014

Have you got your copy of the current issue of Crafts Beautiful? As you may know, I'm a regular contributor to this fab mag and I was commissioned to do a witty anniversary set with the focus on paper piecing. I'd like to share with you one of my projects in this issue.

Ta da! Are they cute or what?? The papers I used are from the #Summer Collection by American Crafts. You can still find these papers on the internet, but any bright, bold papers would work just as well. The instructions and templates can be found in the magazine so you can create this cutey.

The templates are available to download from www.craftsbeautiful.com. Just remember you need to join to download templates, but it is quick, easy and free! You can also download beautiful, free papers to print and use in your projects.

As usual, the magazine is jam packed with gorgeous projects, tutorials, ideas, tips, giveaways and so much more. I'm loving the project on making new clothes for the dolly that was featured in the October 2013 issue (the template is still available to download). I think my niece would love this dolly, I will have to have a go at making her.

This month you get a free Russian nesting doll kit. It contains everything you need to make three cute dolls. If you decide to subscribe to Crafts Beautiful, you will receive the Twilight Butterflies Luxury Card Collection as a subscription gift (UK Direct Debit offer only), it's delivered free and you also save on the cover price. It would make a perfect pressie for a crafty loved one - or even treat yourself!!

Okay, I'm going to sign off for now (I have a PaperCrafter commission to finish). I will be back soon with the other card in this cute set.

Don't forget to enter the Cosmic Colours Challenge #2! Click here to see the colour swatch, my take on it and how to enter.

After pottering around in the garden most of the day, I'm now sat at the patio table, under the parasol with a lovely glass of the ol' Pimms.

It has come around to the exciting moment that I announce the winner of my first Cosmic Colours Challenge. It was quite difficult to chose as all your entries were stunning!

Design Seeds®

The winner is...Radhika!

Congrats to you, I thought your use of the colours with the stencilling produced beautiful results. Email me your postal address and I will send some goodies to you and I will also email you back with the code so you can display the Challenge Winner badge on your blog.

Radhika

The top 3 are...

Sherherazade

KT-Fit Kitty

Elly

Sherherazade

KT Fit Kitty

Elly

Well done all! If you email me I will send you the code for the Top 3 badge. If you haven't got a blog and uploaded your entry via an online photo editing service such as Flikr or Photoshop, I can send you the Top 3 badge image for you to put onto your photo album.

I know there weren't many entries and I understand that with it being the first challenge, but please keep entering and tell all your friends! I will be posting later today with Cosmic Colours Challenge #2.

Before I sign off, a big thank you to those who did enter, it really means a lot to me and I've really enjoyed looking at your blogs/photos to see your beautiful creations.